da Vinci Robotic Prostatectomy

Bloodless Prostate Cancer Surgery

The last few years have been witness to significant advances in our ability to treat prostate cancer. Surgery has been the gold standard of treatment for cancer cure, but complications of impotence and incontinence, prolonged hospital stays and risks of blood loss have been cited as incentives for patients to seek out less invasive approaches, even if success rates were not quite as high.

Referred to by many as robotic surgery for prostate cancer or robotic prostatectomy, da Vinci® Prostatectomy can be a more accurate, robot-assisted, minimally invasive surgery that is quickly becoming the preferred treatment for removal of the prostate following early diagnosis of prostate cancer. In fact, studies suggest that da Vinci Prostatectomy may be the most effective, least invasive prostate surgery performed today.

Robotic Prostatectomy represents a quantum leap forward in our ability to effectively treat prostate cancer, reduce hospital stays, and minimize the risk of complications. In addition, in my opinion, the long term sexual and urinary bother symptoms can be less than for current surgical techniques or any form of radiation therapy as well.

Advantages of the minimally invasive robotic procedure can include reduced pain, scarring, incision size, risk of infection, and less operative blood loss. Patients typically stay in the hospital overnight and return to work within one to two weeks. Continence is achieved more quickly and completely than with traditional surgical techniques. In addition, the neurovascular bundles that are responsible for erections can be dissected from the prostate less traumatically, and therefore erectile function can be regained more quickly and with greater frequency.

Over the last 5 years, about forty percent of Dr. Savatta’s patients who have normal erections before surgery and have both nerves spared have reported regaining erections and having intercourse within 1 month of surgery. In short, with the da Vinci® Surgical System and an experienced surgeon, prostate cancer patients can finally realize the promise of effective cancer control with significantly less morbidity.

Dr. Louis Galdieri assisted Dr. Domenico Savatta in performing the first Robotic Prostatectomy in Essex, Morris, or Union counties. This was done at Newark Beth Israel in December of 2004.

Patients have come from as far as California, Europe, and Africa to have daVinci prostatectomy surgery.

While clinical studies support the effectiveness of the da Vinci® System when used in minimally invasive surgery, individual results may vary. Surgery with the da Vinci Surgical System may not be appropriate for every individual. Any surgery has inherent risk from the operation as well as the anesthesia. Always ask your doctor about all treatment options, as well as their risks and benefits.

All content available on this site is intended for informational and educational purposes only. This site does not provide medical advice. The information should not be construed as a replacement or substitute for professional medical treatment or for professional medical advice. There is no replacement for personal medical treatment and advice from your personal physician.